


Firefly's Fictober Fragments

by firefly_quill



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Awkward, Cute, Fictober 2019, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Sadness, poor akande, summaries below, tags to be added as stories updated
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2020-11-09 03:54:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20847116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firefly_quill/pseuds/firefly_quill
Summary: Written for Fictober 2019. Prompts not necessarily done in order, and are listed below.Chapter 1: Prompt #1. "It will be fun, trust me". (McHanzo, sweet, cute)Chapter 2: Prompt #9. "There is a certain taste to it." (McHanzo, sad, happy ending)Chapter 3: Prompt #8. "Can you stay?" (Background McHanzo. Focuses on Genji and his young niece)Chapter 4: Prompt #2. “Just follow me, I know the area.” (Background McHanzo, Genji and Ayumi return, cute)Chapter 5: Prompt #4. "I know you didn't ask for this." (McHanzo, sweet, cute)Chapter 6: Prompt #20. "You could talk about it, you know?" (Doomcio, mild disagreement, happy ending)Chapter 7: Prompt #24. "Patience...is not something I'm known for." (McHanzo, friends to lovers, cute/awkwardness)Chapter 8: Prompt #14: "I can't come back." (McHanzo, friends to lovers, a bit sad, happy ending)





	1. “It will be fun, trust me.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> I'm going to try my hand at some Fictober prompts and will collect them here. These aren't necessarily done in order. Warnings and ships are posted in the summary above. I apologize that they're a bit rough (like AUgust, most of them were written quite quickly), and would love to hear your thoughts if you had the time! <3

“’It will be fun, trust me’,” Hanzo sneered in mocked mimicry, trying fruitlessly to wipe the dust from his eyes. 

“Well it woulda been if Talon hadn’t shown up,” Jesse mumbled. He hadn’t even bothered trying to stand. 

Their romantic road trip had taken a turn that was (to be fair) quite appropriate to them and the lives they lived (considering Hanzo had first asked Jesse out as the gunslinger bled all over his fine silk gi). Doomfist had planned an ambush on the outskirts of Deadlock Gorge and they had escaped by the skin of their teeth, rolling down a steep cliff of a hill after a misdirected rocket hit the Talon transport. 

“I’d not realized the extent of Akande’s resolve.” Hanzo tried to cough the remainder of the dust from his lungs. “I should have known better.” 

“Oh, it’s ‘Akande’ now?” Jesse asked sullenly. 

“It has been ‘Akande’ for a long time.” While it was meant as a dismissive answer, Hanzo seemed to realize his mistake right after he made it Jesse’s head drooped so that his eyes were hiding under the brim of his mud-caked hat. 

They endured an awkward pause. 

“Surely it was fun punching Akande in the face?” Hanzo asked more gently. 

Jesse’s shoulders shook from the abrupt snort and he looked up. 

“When I finally got to yell ‘break this combo, you sonnuvabitch’?”

Hanzo laughed. He walked over to Jesse and extended his hand. 

Jesse looked up. The sun hit right behind the archer’s head, setting his smile aglow. 

“Or blowing up his Lamborghini?”

Jesse laughed fully at that and took that which was offered. Hanzo pulled just a little too hard and Jesse blushed at their sudden proximity. 

“Serves him right for driving a goddamn Lamborghini up a desert highway.” 

Hanzo hummed. 

“Oh. Oh no.” Jesse pretended to panic. 

“_On a dark desert highway._” 

“Babe, no.”

“_Cool wind in my hair._” 

“Be fair Han, it’s an hour’s walk to the next town. I don’t wanna have that stuck in my head for that long,” Jesse whined. 

Hanzo tugged at their interlaced fingers, pulling Jesse towards the dirt road and forcing him to spin under his arm. 

“_Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air._” 

“Hanzo. Why.” 

But Hanzo was merciless. He danced, goaded Jesse, dipping in for a quick kiss between lines, as he pulled them towards the town. 

Rolling his eyes fondly, Jesse relented, and they picked up the chorus together. 

“_Welcome to the Hotel California._” 

“_Such a lovely place_,” Hanzo sang. 

“_Such a lovely face_,” Jesse countered.

They burst into laughter, unable to continue further, and stumbled hand in hand down the road together.

\---  
At a distance: Akande sings “Jessie’s Girl” mournfully to himself.


	2. "There is a certain taste to it"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I read the blurb on the Overwatch Cookbook entry for Hanzo’s “Tamago Kake Gohan” and I had to. Hanzo is sad, but Jesse makes it better.

When Jesse saw Hanzo make his raw egg rice bowl for the first time, he was certain that the man was drunk. Hanzo haphazardly poured a few condiments he’d brought along with him onto the cooked rice and cracked the egg directly on top, mixing it briefly before eating it like no one was watching. A grain of rice got stuck in his beard and it took every last ounce of Jesse’s willpower to stop himself from walking over and wiping it off himself. Hanzo didn’t seem much like he’d wanted the company anyway. 

They hadn’t been friendly enough for Jesse to feel comfortable asking if things were alright. He found out soon after that it was often a sign that Hanzo was not. 

Hanzo could be found making his rice after particularly difficult arguments with Genji. He would start the rice cooker other mornings with dark rings under his eyes that could not be hidden by his immaculate attention to everything else. Some weeks, he made it more days than not, and he would appear as each day passed—his shoulders a little lower, his eyes a little hollower, his impassive mask a little less intact. After eating, some of these alarming red flags would fade, if only slightly, and everyone in the room would breathe a collective sigh of relief for him. 

Then there was the time that they ran out of eggs. One look at Hanzo’s face and Jesse could tell that Hanzo was just internally _breaking_, and Jesse’s heart broke with him. 

“Hey.” Jesse placed a hand gently on Hanzo’s arm. Hanzo had been staring at the fridge for a full five minutes, looking distraught. Everyone else present had figured out why and gave him space, not knowing how to approach. Jesse decided someone needed to take the chance. “I’m kinda hungry and don’t feel like cooking. Could really use your help with some wings at that pub in town.” 

Hanzo shook his head without turning. “No, thank you.” He closed the fridge door, shaken out of his reverie. 

“…the bakery, then?” Jesse tried again, his flesh hand pressing just a bit more firmly, just a bit more insistently on Hanzo’s forearm. 

There was no immediate answer. 

“Yes. Alright,” Hanzo finally agreed, turning to give him a forced smile. 

When they returned, they found three dozen eggs in the fridge. Jack muttered something about having to go into town for more bread anyway while conspicuously within earshot, as though he wanted Hanzo to know they were there if he needed them. They never ran short of eggs ever again. 

The next time Hanzo made his egg rice, Hana sat down defiantly beside him and engaged him in a heated argument regarding the best starter Pokemon. The time after that, Ana sat down and brought him a cup of her favourite tea. The time after that, Genji just sat. Jesse knew that the younger Shimada was not good with situations like these, but his presence alone seemed enough. 

Jesse finally found his own opening a month later. The kitchen was empty and Hanzo had just started the rice cooker. 

“Teach me how?” Jesse asked, almost shy. 

Hanzo turned, surprised. “It is an acquired taste.” 

“Yeah, I know, but…”

Hanzo waited. 

“You like it. I’d like to make it for you. Sometimes. If you wanna.” Jesse knew he was babbling. The slight blush that was creeping up Hanzo’s neck gave him hope though. 

“Alright.” 

It was simple enough to do. Hanzo put together two bowls, and Jesse memorized exactly the way Hanzo liked it. He mimicked Hanzo and swirled the egg with his chopsticks before eating. 

“Not bad.” Jesse was pleasantly surprised. 

“Hn.”

“There’s a certain taste to it, that’s for sure,” Jesse pondered, trying to reach for the right words. 

“Home.” 

Jesse turned his head slightly, alarmed by the waver in Hanzo’s voice. 

“It tastes like home.” 

Jesse couldn’t help himself: he put his chopsticks down and moved to wrap Hanzo in his arms, whispering comfort into his hair. 

“I apologize,” Hanzo mumbled when he was able. 

“Nothin’ to apologize for,” Jesse assured him. To his disappointment, Hanzo slipped out of his arms and took several steps back. 

“Occasionally, I resort to—” 

“My ma made the best cookies. Orange and spice.”

“…oh?” Hanzo tilted his head, interest perked by the story and the promise of sweets.

“That’s what home tastes like to me,” Jesse explained. “Biscochitos. Never found them again like she made though.” 

Hanzo nodded, understanding something that was not spoken. 

“She always told me they were easy, but I could never get the right balance of spice.” 

“I cannot cook the rice properly either,” Hanzo confessed. “It is never the same.” 

“Never will be,” Jesse shook his head. “But what we got here…it’s pretty damn close ain’t it?”

Hanzo picked up again that they were talking about something other than food. He looked down at his own fingers with a frown. Jesse was about to ask if he was okay when Hanzo’s hand darted forward to grasp at Jesse’s. Jesse beamed, and took a step towards him. 

He leaned in cautiously, silently asking permission before pressing his lips to Hanzo’s. He could feel Hanzo’s lips curling up into a smile. 

“Yes,” Hanzo agreed when they had to part for air. “It tastes pretty damn close.”


	3. "Can you stay?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fictober 2019 Prompt 8: "Can you stay?"
> 
> Ayumi returns! Hanzo and Jesse are away on mission, leaving Ayumi in her uncle's care for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone,
> 
> This fic will make more sense if you read my "Single Parent" blurb first:   
https://archiveofourown.org/works/13423539/chapters/36414444 
> 
> This one is just the slightest bit melancholy. I promise to fix it next time! :)

The wind and thunder caused even the reinforced metal walls of the base to shudder. Genji was unsurprised though to find Ayumi perched in front of the largest window, observing the storm with rapt attention. 

She was her father’s daughter, after all. 

They had arrived several months ago, and this was the first time Hanzo and Jesse had left Ayumi alone on base—presumably in Genji’s care. When McCree had responded to Recall with his brother and a niece Genji had never met in tow, Genji was certain that he was just misunderstanding a strange and completely arbitrary coincidence.

When it became clear that Hanzo and Jesse were not merely friends, Genji began to realize he understood nothing of the universe at all. 

His brother had arrived so much more whole than Genji would have ever expected. Hanzo had explained one evening that having been given the gift of caring for another life in a way that he did not care for his own forced him to realize his own life was worth living. Meeting McCree had just clinched it. 

Genji wasn’t one to question miracles. Enough had happened to them both after all that they were clearly owed a few. 

Their arrival had sparked that quiet yet insistent desire for family that had caused him to seek Hanzo in the first place. While he had his brother back, and their relationship was slowly but surely on the mend, Ayumi was a complete mystery to him, and the ghost of feelings that should have been only drew attention to their lack. 

While he had felt an instant affection for her when they first met, he had not yet figured out how to interact with her otherwise.

Ayumi was far more serious than any child deserved to be, a symptom of growing up on the run, Genji suspected. 

She was therefore not susceptible to the trivialities of other children her age. She disliked sweets, had no great interest in toys. Genji’s attempts to shower her with either only elicited a polite bow. The gift would be squirreled away, never to be seen again (at least Genji could be sure that Hanzo made short work of the sweets). 

Genji was pretty sure that he was damn charming around children most of the time (Angela insisted that this was because he was just an overgrown child himself), but his niece seemed impervious. Still, he tried. 

“It’s beautiful.” Ayumi spoke first with quiet awe, without turning to see who had come into the room. That too made Genji smile. 

“Not scary?” Genji teased lightly. 

Ayumi turned and blinked at him.

He guessed that was a no. 

Genji presented her with a small purple plush dragon that he’d found during their last mission at Blizzard World. 

Ayumi stood politely, taught well by her father, and accepted the gift with both hands and another small bow. 

“_Thank you very much, uncle_,” she said to the floor in Japanese. 

“_You are very welcome_,” Genji replied with a frown. 

“_I like it very much_,” Ayumi insisted, somehow sensing his discomfort. 

They regarded each other in silence for a moment. 

“_Do you…have many toys_?” Genji tried. 

Ayumi shook her head. “_It’s hard to travel with toys._” 

“Ah. Of course.” Genji nodded, too eager, thinking that he had found the source of the problem. “_We will fix that, now that you are here._” 

Ayumi retreated a couple of steps to sit down by the window again and Genji’s mind reeled, trying to figure out what he’d done wrong. 

“Ayumi?”

“_They gave me gifts too_.” Ayumi’s eyes were fixed on the floor again.

“_Who?_”

“_Our family._” 

Genji’s blood ran cold. 

“_When they tried to catch us unaware. When they tried to turn me against my father. Or to take me away._” 

“_Niece…_”

Ayumi shrugged. “_We are still standing. They are not._”

Genji recognized the phrase as his brother’s and his heart shattered. He swiftly knelt and put a hand gently on her shoulder. 

“_I am not like them._”

“_…Father hurt you._” 

Ah. So she knew. 

“_Yes. And I have forgiven him for it_,” Genji tried again. “_Our larger family has cost me far too much already. I would not have them deprive me of my brother, or his adorable pipsqueak daughter._” 

Ayumi scrunched her nose and Genji laughed. 

She turned to look out the window again. “Okay.” 

Genji’s heart leapt to his throat. “Okay?”

Ayumi nodded. “_Father does stupid things sometimes. I will need help keeping him safe._” 

Genji nodded again, chuckling. “_Yes. Of course._” 

“_Jesse promised to help too. From the beginning. And he said it again before they left._” Ayumi’s voice wavered slightly at that. 

Oh. 

“_They will be back soon_,” Genji said gently. 

Ayumi nodded. “_They promised._” 

“_Good. I have never known my brother nor Jesse to go back on a promise._”

Ayumi’s small hands grasped at the plush dragon and she held it closer to her chest. Genji wasn’t sure how to proceed. Ayumi turned to him consideringly in a manner once again so much like her father. 

“Can you stay?” 

It was a question that barely expressed its intent, but Genji recognized its meaning just the same. He beamed. 

“Of course. Let me get us some snacks.” 

Ayumi brightened. “Chips?”

_Chips_. 

Genji nodded eagerly. “Yosh! Right away!”

They sat together for the next hour, just staring at the rain together and at peace.


	4. “Just follow me, I know the area.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To kill time while Hanzo and Jesse were still on mission, Genji had decided to take it upon himself to train his young niece. So far, she had proved to be an excellent student—far better than he had ever been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Genji and Ayumi are back! This one is cuter!  
Some minor Naruto knowledge is helpful, but not required (a couple of terms are tagged at the end).  
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts if you had the time <3

“Just follow me, I know the area.”

“How could you possibly know the area?” Ayumi scrunched her nose into a much cuter version of Hanzo’s scowl. 

Genji grinned at the resemblance. “I have been here before.”

“But I thought that you said this is—”

Genji raised a hand to silence her and Ayumi immediately obeyed, looking to him for instruction. To kill time while Hanzo and Jesse were still on mission, Genji had decided to take it upon himself to train his young niece. So far, she had proved to be an excellent student—far better than he had ever been. 

“We take the path to the left,” Genji decided. “Less chance of being seen. Because the first rule is…?”

“’_Flow like water, move as the wind,_” Ayumi recited in Japanese, scrunching her nose. “You’ve not told me yet what that means.”

“The day you find out is the day you become a true warrior,” Genji replied solemnly, glad that his mask hid his amusement. Hanzo had used exactly the same trick on him years ago, and he’d never thought he would have the chance to do it himself. 

Ayumi looked skeptical, proving already that she was much smarter than he had ever been at her age. 

“_Come, join me up here_,” Genji chided to break her attention. Ayumi scaled the tree. “_Look. Tell me what you see._” 

Ayumi frowned. “_Trees._”

“_To the untrained eye,_” Genji nodded. “_But if you look harder…_”

“Ooh!” Ayumi perked up. “_Smoke._” 

“_Yes. Smoke. Let’s investigate._” 

They meandered around the woods for some time, encountering no trouble. Genji began to wonder whether they’d perhaps taken a wrong turn when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. 

“Look out!” Genji shouted, turning to back her up.

Ayumi squealed and managed to dodge a set of shuriken that hit the tree behind her instead. 

“Use what we’ve practiced,” Genji commanded. 

Ayumi nodded. “Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!” 

Her form split into five, each darting into a different direction. They easily located and subdued the assassin. 

“Nice work!” Genji was impressed and could not mask the pride in his voice. “_Someday you too, niece, will be the next hokag—_”

“I am _not_ seeing this.” 

Genji and Ayumi turned with matching guilty expressions to face Hana, who had stood at the doorway of the rec room, arms crossed. They meekly dropped their controllers.

“Because you did _not_ log into my account to access the special beta of the Naruto game that they gave me for promotional purposes,” Hana growled, stalking towards Genji, finger raised. “And you did _not_ just save over my progress you…you…” Hana’s eyes slid sideways to look at Ayumi’s wide, (intentionally exaggerated) innocent eyes. Genji was looking at Hana horrified, slowly moving his hands to cover Ayumi’s ears. Hana bared her teeth and switched to Korean. 

Genji leaned towards Ayumi slowly. “Now, the training _truly_ begins.” 

Ayumi nodded solemnly. 

“Smoke bomb!” They yelled in unison. 

Hana screamed as the room filled with dust. 

“You are _dead meat, mediocre Sasuke!_” Hana bellowed, chasing after their laughter as it disappeared down the halls.

\--- 

Genji: Sasuke? I believe you have me mistaken for my brother.  
Ayumi: *surprised pikachu face* _You take that back, uncle!!!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu is a special move (let's face it, it's a special move) that Naruto can perform where he creates a number of shadow clones.  
Hokage is the leader of Naruto's village.  
Sasuke is a character in Naruto :P


	5. “I know you didn’t ask for this”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fictober 2019 Prompt #4: “I know you didn’t ask for this.”
> 
> Jesse finds out that Hanzo has not celebrated his birthday in decades and decides to fix the situation.

Jesse found out purely by accident. 

They had been settling in for the evening after Genji’s birthday celebrations when Hanzo mentioned in passing that they had rarely celebrated events such as these in their youth. 

Jesse’s hand paused and Hanzo opened his eyes to blink owlishly at him. 

“Oh. Sorry, babe.” Realizing the problem, Jesse began to pet at Hanzo’s hair again and Hanzo hummed in content. 

“But…why not?”

Hanzo’s mouth turned downward but he did not open his eyes. “It was not a priority after we had come of age.” 

“…but…did you ever want to?”

One eye peeked open to shoot Jesse a warning glance. 

“That was suspiciously in the present tense.” 

“No reason why we can’t celebrate now,” Jesse explained, his hand travelling down to massage the knot that he knew was always at the base of Hanzo’s neck. 

“Not a priority,” Hanzo mumbled, burrowing more deeply into Jesse’s chest.

“…I don’t even know the date.” 

Jesse now had Hanzo’s full attention. Hanzo drew a breath to express his frustration that the topic had not yet been dropped and noticed that Jesse was staring into the space between them glumly. 

He sighed and snuggled closely to tuck himself under Jesse’s chin. 

“That is not your failing. That is by design.” 

“I know,” Jesse nodded.

Hanzo knew better, and relented. 

“October 21. Something small.” 

Hanzo squawked indignantly as Jesse rolled over onto him to unleash a flurry of kisses. 

\--- 

Jesse started with the cake, knowing it was the most important part. Hanzo purchased a Christmas cake from the same place every year, and Jesse was certain that this bakery must have been his favourite. He made his first mistake by asking Genji for this bakery’s location. 

“Why?”

“For your brother’s birthday.” 

Genji choked on his cereal. 

“He let you plan something for his 40th birthday?!”

“His _what_?!” 

Genji grasped at Jesse’s forearm tight with both hands. “McCree. You have to let me help. We _have_ to make this special.”

Jesse should have said no. He nearly did. It wasn’t the first mistake that he’d made and it wouldn’t be his last. 

\--- 

Three days later, he found Hana and Lucio giggling over a tablet. 

“What’s goin’ on o’er here?” He asked casually. 

“We’re picking out the karaoke song list,” Hana announced. 

“Is that what we’re doin’ this Friday night?” 

“Nope. For Hanzo’s birthday!”

Jesse paled. 

“Genji told Lucio, and Lucio told me.” 

“Lu—” 

“I know, I know, keep it small,” Lucio nodded solemnly. 

Jesse looked skeptical. 

“Genji made us promise!” Hana raised her right hand to swear. 

The day after, he found Angela and Lena conspiring over decorations. 

“I’m not sure he’s the type,” Jesse protested helplessly. 

“Just a few,” Angela promised.

“Classy ones,” Lena confirmed. 

The gold foil dragon streamers they were looking at said otherwise. 

So when Jesse brought Hanzo into the fully decked out mess hall to find the mountain of food that Ana and Reinhardt had prepared together, the music _blasting_, and every single active member of Overwatch present and wearing matching party hats, he was pretty sure that someone was going to die from an arrow wound, and he wasn’t confident that it wouldn’t be him. 

At least Genji had actually delivered on the fucking cake—two, actually: one to hold the giant “4” and the other to support the “0”. 

Jesse looked anxiously to Hanzo’s reaction. To his surprise, Hanzo’s lips tugged downward only for a brief, fleeting moment before breaking into a weak smile. Jesse put on his best poker face and braced himself for the second shoe to drop. 

“Now Sweetpea, I know you didn’t ask for this,” Jesse leaned in to whisper. He didn’t get the chance to finish. 

“SURPRISE!!!” 

The greeting was fairly belated. Jesse wondered whether the rest of the team had been waiting just long enough to see determine if Hanzo had bought his bow with him.

Hanzo full on smiled. “You should not have gone to the trouble.” 

Genji jumped onto his brother’s back and clung to his neck, dragging him away from Jesse and towards the crowd. 

Hanzo navigated the party with the social grace of a yakuza lord and Jesse had completely forgotten that his partner had such skills. He thanked each member personally for their role in the party, and complimented them on their role. He was dragged to the food table, to observe the decorations; he begrudgingly agreed to sing a song or two at the karaoke station, to Lucio and Hana’s delight. 

They collapsed on their bed once they were finally able to reconvene several hours later in their bedroom, exhausted, staring upwards in silence. 

“…honeybee?” Jesse asked hesitantly.

“Are you about to apologize for planning a birthday party for me?”

Jesse didn’t have to turn to picture the amused smile that Hanzo was surely giving the ceiling. 

“…should I?” Jesse was smiling as well, but wasn’t convinced. 

Jesse could feel the bed shift as Hanzo turned. Hanzo wrapped an arm around Jesse’s waist and drew him in, tucking Jesse under his own chin. 

“It was not what I had expected,” Hanzo admitted.

“I tried to tell ‘em—” 

“—but I did not find it as irritating as I had expected either.” 

Jesse tilted his head up to get a better look at Hanzo, just to check if he was being serious. 

Hanzo turned downwards and kissed him on the nose. “I imagine you told my brother?”

“Yeah.” 

“Who told Lucio?”

“…yeah.”

“Who told Hana, and so on?”

“Basically.” 

“So the party then was the combination of their individual efforts?”

“…yeah, more or less.” 

“Then technically, they were each following your orders for a small party,” Hanzo concluded. “But their collectively, they—”

“Made it spiral outta control?” Jesse suggested. 

“Precisely.”

There was a pause, and Jesse sensed that Hanzo wasn’t quite done. 

“They decided individually, that for one day, I was worth celebrating.” 

Hanzo’s voice had taken that softer tone, the one that Jesse had finally recognized as being awe. He pressed more insistently into Hanzo’s embrace. 

“You’re always worth celebrating.” 

Hanzo snorted again. “Yes. Obviously.” 

Jesse chuckled. “So you’re not angry then, I take it?”

“No, not angry,” Hanzo confirmed. “Besides.”

“Besides?” Jesse craned his neck up to observe Hanzo again. Hanzo was grinning down at him and it didn’t bode well. Hanzo leaned down to kiss Jesse sweetly on the lips. “Your birthday is coming up soon. I am certain I will find the opportunity to repay the favour.” 

Jesse groaned into Hanzo’s chest in mock frustration.


	6. "You could talk about it, you know?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucio and Akande have been at this for close to a year, but what exactly is "this"?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone,
> 
> Sorry for the long delay! Switching gears for a Doomcio story. I would love to hear your thoughts of you had the time!

Lucio had been staring at the ceiling for a full 20 minutes before Akande even stirred. He knew better than to assume the other man had just awoken, however. They had been doing this for long enough for Lucio to know that—whatever it was _this_ was. 

Akande moved slowly in the morning, but never carelessly. Even off guard—as Lucio assumed he was, since something in moments like these just felt _different_— every move was considered, calculated. Akande’s arm was currently considering the divots of Lucio’s abdomen muscles, for instance, likely calculating the type of touch and their multiple reactions. His hand dipped a little bit too low and Lucio twitched. Akande chuckled, leaning in to nuzzle the top of his head, filing that spot and that reaction away for another day. 

“Good morning.” 

“Morning.” Lucio shuffled as much as he could under Akande’s firm grasp. 

“Do you have somewhere to be?”

“Nah.” 

Akande hummed, pleased. “Good.” 

The first time they met, they both felt it: a sudden and undeniable ignition. Lucio had thought at first that it was antithesis—an extreme friction generated by two opposites. He was relieved of that misconception the third time they encountered each other on the battlefield, after an extended, embarrassing make-out session in one of the back rooms of Volskaya. Akande had smugly tucked his personal phone number into Lucio’s boxers, and they had met periodically ever since. 

This had been going on for almost a year now, and each time, Lucio still struggled to make sense of it.

“You think loudly,” Akande observed into his hair. 

“That’s not a thing,” Lucio rolled his eyes. 

“It is most definitely a thing and you are currently doing it.” 

It wasn’t a question, nor was it an invitation to share, but with Akande, you had to take your moments, even when they were not offered. 

“What is this?”

Akande’s smooth motions stopped. 

“What do you mean?” His voice was carefully guarded and Lucio felt guilt unfurling in his chest. But once an idea was begun, it was irreversible. 

“_This_”

Akande drew back to frown down at him. “I thought it was quite clear.” 

“You could talk about it, you know,” Lucio pressed. 

“What is there to talk about?” 

Lucio tried again, unsure of whether Akande was genuinely confused or whether he was deflecting. “I’d like to know what we’re doing.” 

Akande chuckled, and his voice fell low. “That much must be perfectly clear to you,” he leaned forward to purr. 

Lucio scowled and pushed himself backwards to get a proper look at Akande. Despite the seduction attempt, Akande was observing him closely, trying to discern his true intention. Recognizing finally that Lucio was not poking fun, Akande softened his approach.

“I’ve not yet learned the words to describe this,” Akande admitted, “This is not something that I have done before.” He brushed a stray lock of hair from Lucio’s face. 

Lucio snorted. “What? Slept with the enemy?” 

Akande let most of Lucio’s taunts slide with good humour, so much so that Lucio forgot this was he was an exception, not the rule, until he pushed too far. 

Lucio knew immediately that this was too far. 

Akande retreated and sat up, his eyes narrowing. 

“Is that what you think this is? Is that _all_ that you think this is?”

“How am I supposed to know?” Lucio shot back defensively. “All we do is have sex.”

Lucio knew it was exactly the wrong thing to say right as he was saying it. Akande’s shoulder’s squared and he drew himself upwards, even while sitting, catching Lucio in his shadow. 

“You think I risk being caught, despite the intense scrutiny that I am under, that I give Sombra blackmail material for…nothing?”

Akande was seething, furious. Unlike with others though, his anger was restrained. Lucio realized that around him, it always was. There was also a slight crackle in his voice, almost as though he were…

Oh no. 

“Oh.” 

“Oh,” Akande confirmed, throwing the blankets off and pushing himself off of the bed. 

“Wait!” Lucio darted forward to grasp at any part of Akande in an attempt to draw near the very person he had just pushed away. He was dodged easily.

“I—” Lucio trailed off.

“You _what_?” Akande hissed. 

Lucio blinked, surprised at the chance he was being given. He paused, knowing that he had to consider his words that the slight that was dealt. In doing so, Lucio realized a surprising truth. 

Through no words, Akande had been speaking his answer for almost a year. 

“You let me get away with more than anyone else,” Lucio began, sliding toward the edge of the bed. Akande eyed him but said nothing. “You put yourself at risk for me.” 

Akande crossed his arms, frowning. “And yet I do not have words for this.” He sounded more upset at himself than at Lucio, and the guilt in Lucio’s chest bloomed further still. He shook his head and stood, tilting his head upwards to shoot Akande a brilliant smile. Lucio reached to cover the man’s huge hands with his own smaller ones. 

“That’s okay. You’ve been sayin’ it all along. I’ve just been bad at listening.” 

Akande snorted, but allowed himself to be drawn slowly and gradually towards Lucio. 

“Just because talking’s the way I communicate best, doesn’t mean it’s the only way.” Lucio sat down on the edge of the bed again, and Akande moved to straddle him. 

“Especially since you do more than enough for the both of us,” Akande smirked. 

“Hey now!” Lucio protested, laughing, as he was pressed gently back onto the bed. 

Neither of them did much talking after that.


	7. "Patience...is not something I'm known for"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fictober prompt #24: "Patience...is not something I'm known for".
> 
> Jesse fears he's moving too fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading these short blips. I hope that you've enjoyed reading them as much as I've enjoyed writing them. There's one more I have planned, but I'm not sure that it'll be done before October's end. I'll do my best! As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts <3

Jesse was not a patient man. In his youth, his impatience had manifested as impulsiveness. It had run him straight into trouble more times than he could count, but by some miracle, also got him out of trouble just as frequently. 

Age dulled some of that impetuousness, carved it with experience into something harder, but equally as surefooted. 

When he first met Hanzo, some of that old impatience stirred in his chest, provoked by what he’d assumed was a desire to protect Genji. 

As the days turned into weeks, however, Jesse realized it was something far more dangerous—it was desire itself. 

Things moved quickly after that. Wary animosity transformed into a begrudging acceptance into a tentative friendship. Soon, they were together more evenings than they were not, yet still, that dull, pulsating _something_ gnawing at Jesse’s heart demanded more. 

Hanzo was a leaf on the water. Whereas Jesse’s affections had swung wildly in those first few weeks, Hanzo seemed content to simply follow his lead. He responded to Jesse’s first barbs with cool indifference, accepted his first compliments with grace, and took to Jesse’s friendship as though the first week’s slights had not happened at all. He did nothing to slow Jesse’s momentum, but only maintained and sustained it without giving any indication of his own desires. 

Jesse finally took pause, worrying that his persistence was taking Hanzo where he might not want to go. 

“You could just ask him,” Fareeha sighed.

“Ask him what, exactly?” Jesse grumbled. 

“Out.”

“What if he just goes along with it?”

Fareeha snorted into her protein shake. “Does he look like the type to just go along with things?”

“That’s what he’s done so far,” Jesse frowned. “I’ve been moving too fast and he don’t much seem to care.”

“Then maybe it’s not too fast,” Fareeha suggested. She sat up suddenly, a grin spreading much too fast across her face for Jesse’s liking. She picked up her comm. “You know who would know?” Hey, Genji—” 

Jesse tackled her to the ground before she could finish. 

\--- 

Two days later, their usual drinking session got rained out. Jesse nevertheless arrived at Hanzo’s door at exactly 9:00pm sharp, as he always did. 

Hanzo answered the door, as he always did, with one minor exception: his hair was down and just the slightest bit dishevelled. 

This small change should not have had the impact that it did upon Jesse’s heart, and yet since the door had opened, Jesse could hear nothing but his heart pounding in his ears. 

Hanzo’s lips stopped moving and it looked as though he was waiting for a response. 

“Huh?”

“I said my apologies,” Hanzo repeated. “I must have overslept.”

“We could go back to bed,” Jesse blurted out before he could stop himself. 

There was a long and poignant pause before everything happened at once. Hanzo grasped at Jesse’s waist and pulled just as Jesse lunged forward, crushing their lips together so hard their teeth clacked. Hanzo yelped and took a step backwards so quickly that Jesse had not yet steadied himself. He stumbled forward on top of Hanzo onto the floor. 

They laid still for what seemed like forever, frozen in place by a combination of embarrassment and horror. 

“Do you require medical assistance?” Athena finally inquired calmly. 

Jesse scrambled backwards and off of Hanzo, who pushed himself so that he was seated. 

“No. Thank you.” Hanzo coughed. 

“Are you certain? Preliminary substance tests detect blood.” 

“Oh shit,” Jesse cursed, seeing Hanzo’s split lip. 

“I am fine,” Hanzo insisted. He reached up to wipe the blood away with a thumb, but Jesse beat him to it before embarrassment and self-preservation could stop him. Hanzo twitched, but did not shy away.

“Are you certain?” Athrena asked again after several minutes. “Your mutual silence suggests traum—”

“Athena, close the door and for fucks sake, stop listening,” Jesse moaned. 

The door closed without further comment. 

They blinked at the floor before trying to speak at exactly the same time. 

“My apologies—”

“I’m real sorry, Hanzo—”

They both stopped and started again to the same effect. Jesse chuckled and Hanzo smiled despite himself. Figuring that his own impulsiveness was to blame, Jesse gestured for Hanzo to start first. Hanzo nodded and frowned into his hands. 

“My apologies for earlier. And for our recent interactions. It would seem that my impatience has caused you some grief.”

“I’m sorry, what now?” Jesse sputtered. 

Hanzo did not seem to pick up on his reaction. His eyes were still fixed downwards. “Patience…is not something that I am known for. I took advantage of your initial kindness and fear that I’ve put you in an awkward position. You made your feelings about me clear from the very beginning.” 

Hanzo’s broken expression made Jesse’s heart ache in sympathy. 

“But you are kind to everyone, and inadvertently started treating me with the same small kindnesses. I reciprocated in a way that required you to continue. And for that I apologize.” 

“Hanzo. Listening to what you’re sayin’.” 

Hanzo blinked up at him. 

“You’re sayin’ that you _forced_ me to be nice to you?”

“…It sounds a lot sillier when you put it that way,” Hanzo admitted sheepishly. 

“I should be the one who should be sorry,” Jesse shook his head. “I’m the one whose been impatient, whose been pushin’ you for something more, forcin’ you to accept me without any thought that you’d not want to.” 

Hanzo did not reply right away. He was furrowing his brow in that cute way that indicated he was thinking over his next words carefully. 

“Did you ever consider that I had encouraged our friendship because I wanted to?” He finally asked. 

“I dunno, did you?” Jesse countered, hit by the ridiculousness of the situation. 

“So…we were both responding without coercion?” Hanzo asked slowly, as though the idea had not yet fully taken hold.

“Yeah.” 

“And you really do like me?” He asked with caution. 

Jesse heard the faintest glimmer of hope in that question, and grinned widely. “Afraid it might be a bit too late for that. Might have moved right on to somethin’ more.”

The corners of Hanzo’s lips turned up to form an amused smile. “I as well.”

“So, does that mean we can try that kiss again, impatient men that we both are?” Jesse leaned forward, his casual manner barely able to mask his tremble of excitement.

Hanzo laughed and shuffled closer, tilting his head when they were just a breath apart. “I couldn’t possibly wait any longer.”


	8. "I can't go back"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fictober 2019 prompt #14: "I can't go back". 
> 
> Overwatch lost two agents the day Hanzo left, as Jesse first left to follow, then adapted to chase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone,
> 
> I'm sorry that this one is so late! This was a fragment that I'd started over a year ago and never found the occasion to finish. It's a bit more descriptive-heavy. Hopefully it came together well under this prompt. I'd love to hear your thoughts if you had the time!

Jesse took a long drag from his cigarillo, willing the warmth to linger. 

"Shoulda never told you I hated the cold, sweepea," he muttered to himself, shoving his flesh hand as deep into his pocket as it would go. He had followed a flimsy lead to a small town in Hokkaido, and had set up shop in the only accommodations available to foreigners. Even that had been a struggle: it was only through Jesse’s persistent wheedling in both English and mediocre Japanese that finally caused the innkeeper to relent. 

There had been the faintest of rumours—a three-person removed account at best—that a man with a winding dragon tattoo had settled close by. Jesse had always been willing to take what little he could get. Nowadays, however, it bordered on desperation. 

He had been chasing Hanzo for almost a year, and while the clues would always eventually present themselves, they were getting more difficult to come by. 

The day that Hanzo had arrived at Gibraltar, Jesse knew right away that his stay would be temporary. Jesse had seen it: a short glimpse, a brief flicker of that same beast he had seen through the mirror in his own eyes shortly before he answered Recall. Shimada Hanzo had spent most of his life as a bird caged, whether one of his family's design or his own. He had finally tasted freedom from the crushing sense of duty he had felt as part of the clan, before obligation brought him to his brother’s side, much as obligation had compelled Jesse to return to Overwatch. Yes, Jesse had seen it in Hanzo’s eyes as clear as the sun rising over the flat desert horizon: it was fear.

It had been too much, too soon: the medical exams, training sessions, social obligations, missions. Everything seemed devised to aggressively force Hanzo’s affection, his obedience. Jesse knew from experience that a man like that could not be coerced. It would only be a matter of time. 

What Jesse had _not_ been able to foresee, however, was how he himself would fall fast and hard for the man. And while saying that Hanzo was hard to read was a significant understatement, Jesse had to wonder whether the affection may have been mutual. 

The one thing that Hanzo had not seemed to mind was Jesse’s company. Jesse had first invited the archer for drinks out of sympathy: he saw the panic pooling in Hanzo’s expression at the mere suggestion that he dine with the team, and gently leaned over to suggest they make plans that would get in the way. 

Hanzo had agreed immediately, to everyone’s dismay and to Jesse’s secret joy. They would often spend evenings together instead of the with everyone else. While Jesse’s foolish heart dared to hope for something more someday, his cynical mind refused to entertain the thought. 

But every time Jesse offered, Hanzo would acquiesce, and the gunslinger was too savvy to take such a sign for granted. 

\---

_Untrustworthy. Dodgy. Suspicious. _

Jesse listened to the accusations without providing any input himself, and was only mildly hurt on behalf of the archer when some of them came from Genji. Hanzo had not proven himself trustworthy in the first few months of his arrival, but Jesse was pretty sure it was because he didn’t _want to_. He wasn’t here to make friends, and had therefore not gone out of his way to do so. While Jesse would likely have done differently in his place, he also didn’t hold it against the man. 

He wasn’t really the type to try to change the minds of those already convinced of their own truths though, so Jesse never said a word against them. No sense in furthering antagonism. Months later, Jesse couldn’t help but wonder whether things would have been different had he decided to intervene. 

To be fair, it wasn’t that the brothers weren’t trying. In retrospect, perhaps the problem had been that Genji was trying too hard—ever the younger brother who was accustomed to getting whatever it was that he wanted. Hanzo was accustomed to giving ground to the will of others, and Jesse could see that he had finally tired of it, much as Jesse himself had. 

“It wouldn’t kill you to make friends, brother. To pretend that you wanted to stay,” Genji openly accused his brother one fall afternoon.

Hanzo’s eyes hardened at the accusation. “I am here to make amends, not to make acquaintances.” 

“But why can’t you have both?” Genji countered. In his head, Jesse heard the “I” instead of “you”. “Why can’t we be family again?”

“You have never stopped being my family,” Hanzo’s tone softened. “It is why I am here.” 

Jesse heard the vulnerability in that answer that Genji was determined to miss. He silently willed Genji to stop in vain.

“Then you might consider my new family yours as well. Sit with us once a week. It’s all I ask.” 

“You ask a lot,” Hanzo snapped. 

“As you used to of yourself,” Genji spat back. “And so just once I ask for you to do so for my sake. Is that truly too much?”

Jesse knew it had been. The guilt trap snapped shut and even Genji looked a bit sheepish. “Perhaps I—” 

He didn’t get the chance to finish. Hanzo swept from the room without another word. By the time Genji had calmed down enough to find him, he found Hanzo’s door wide open, and his room empty. 

Overwatch lost two agents that day, as Jesse first left to follow, then adapted to chase. 

Genji had somehow knew to find Jesse packing his bags the minute after Hanzo had disappeared, and accosted him in his own room. "Jesse. He is not worth i—"

"He will always be worth it," McCree had interrupted. A shocked silence had passed between them. 

“What is my brother to you?” Genji asked, more curious than angry. 

“Not sure,” Jesse admitted. “But that’s what I hope to find out.” 

It was what brought McCree initially to Hanamura’s narrow streets. He had a hunch that Hanzo would return, even if only for a moment’s time, and his inkling had been correct. Hanzo’s surprise had given way quickly to physical aggression, although Jesse guessed that it was in done in defense. 

They had met in close quarters, giving Jesse the upper hand, and yet he looked as surprised as Hanzo when he finally pinned Hanzo to the ground. 

There had been a poignant silence that Jesse decided to interrupt in the best worst possible: by pressing forward with a snarl and a kiss that bruised. Hanzo returned the force in kind, and before Jesse knew it, they were both naked, and Hanzo was riding him until he saw stars. 

He woke up the morning after alone, disappointed, and just very cold. 

And yet, he wasn’t alone: on the pillow beside him had been a small Matryoshka doll, the one that Jesse had gifted to Hanzo after a mission to Volskaya. Jesse bought a one-way ticket to Russia right away. 

It became a game. 

Jesse would eventually catch up with Hanzo, they would fight, Jesse would win, they would have the hottest sex Jesse had ever had the pleasure of sharing with another person, and Hanzo would be gone the next day, leaving a token that would hint at his next location. 

It became a pattern. 

While a more tactical man like Reyes or Morrison would have attempted to guess at the meaning of the game itself, Jesse just felt blessed to be invited into it. He spent months, close to a year on the trail, content with the chase—until now. 

Somewhere along the way, Jesse had become tired of waking up alone. He had realized that he would very much like to wake up beside Hanzo someday—everyday, even. However, that flicker of fear that was lurking just beneath the surface of Hanzo’s expression every day the man was at Gibraltar gave Jesse pause. Waking up next to someone every day sounded a lot like entrapment. He would have to make sure that it was not before even suggesting it.

But Hanzo had been playing this game with him for months, almost a year. Hanzo had been the one who decided that his initial victory, and indeed, every one thereafter over McCree was best claimed through his lips, through laying hands on his body, through—Jesse blushed and tilted his hat forward to hide the blush that followed _that_ thought. And this was why hope, insignificant and fragile, bloomed in Jesse’s chest. 

Jesse would be a liar if he said he didn’t have some anxiety about what would happen were Hanzo to win instead of him. He had a feeling that their game only worked if Hanzo felt as though Jesse were given some recompense for his time, as though Jesse were _owed_. Even though Hanzo had become more difficult to locate, Jesse wondered whether this might have been might have been due to his own uncertainty about Jesse’s feelings. Jesse wished with ever fiber of his body that he could correct Hanzo of these misconceptions. 

So when the newest encounter in Hokkaido ended with Hanzo pinned to the wall, Jesse did begin to entertain this fear, but also whether he had been _allowed_ to win in all of their previous fights.

"It would appear that you have won," Hanzo acknowledged, short breaths not betraying any emotion. Jesse saw it still though, creeping slowly across the archer's features, just as sure as the resignation, but not as quick. The fear reflected in Hanzo's own eyes made Jesse's heart ache. He knew what he had to do to cure it. 

"Is that so?" He answered, just as casually. With a flick of his wrist, Peacekeeper was flipped and emptied. Hanzo watched each bullet hit the floor, but only truly reacted when the gun itself did the same. He huffed, in what Jesse recognized as a sign of the man's confusion. 

Jesse stepped back. 

"What—"

"Darlin', I always knew you could disarm me with just one of those looks of yours," Jesse drawled. 

Hanzo's eyes narrowed with suspicion. 

"You win." 

There was a long pause before Hanzo's next answer cut softly through the air. 

"You are giving up. You have tired of our game, and have devised this rouse to be free of it." Jesse had only heard this fragile tone once before, when Hanzo had finally confessed to him his guilt regarding his brother. He moved in quickly to correct his error.

"I don't ever wanna be free of you, sweetheart. But you win," Jesse repeated. "So that means what happens next is up to you." 

“I do not understand.” 

"I ain't in the business of keepin' men against their will. But I've chased you for the better part of a year, Hanzo, and that's not been for sport." 

Hanzo shifted uncomfortably.

“I wanna be with you.” Jesse smiled just a bit at the way Hanzo jumped at the words. “Wherever that might take us. But I only want that if it’s what you want too, honeybee.” 

Hanzo would not meet Jesse’s eyes. “I cannot go back.” 

“I ain’t goin’ back without you,” Jesse admitted. Hanzo took a swift step back, and looked as though he were prepared for the inevitable. “If that means I ain’t goin’ back at all, then so be it.” 

That was not what Hanzo had prepared himself for. He blinked at Jesse, not quite understanding the proposition in front of him. 

“I’ll play this game we play as long as you like, as long as it’s what you want,” Jesse tried again. “But I’d like somethin’ more permanent, if you’re willin’. But you call the shots.”

“And if it doesn’t work out?” Hanzo’s voice still threatened to break under the weight of the decision and his anxiety. 

“Then it don’t work out,” Jesse shrugged. “But I’d really like it if it would, and I’d really like to try.” 

There was a long silence. Hanzo flexed the fingers of his right hand out of habit, the bow hanging loose in his other. 

“Very well.” 

Jesse hadn’t realized his heart had been beating loudly in his ears until it picked up its pace, and the beat turned into a dull roar. 

“Yeah?”

Hanzo chuckled, taking a step forward. “You look pleased.” 

“As punch,” Jesse grinned happily, taking a step forward as well to wrap his arms around Hanzo’s waist. “I think I quite like bein’ at your mercy.” 

“Ridiculous,” Hanzo snorted, but they had been doing this long enough for Jesse to know there was no real bite to his words. “I am not without mercy. What would you suggest we do?”

“First? I’d request that snug lil’ room you have for yourself, because I am _freezing_ and they wouldn’t give me a room with heat.” 

Hanzo laughed and allowed himself to be drawn even closer. 

“But after that?” Jesse leaned in, eyes darting down towards Hanzo’s lips and then back up again, as though asking permission. “Anything you want.” 

Jesse had a feeling, given the way in which Hanzo’s arms wrapped tightly around his waist, the way in which he was drawn quickly in for that kiss he looked forward to every time, that he knew exactly what it was Hanzo wanted, and that they were on exactly the same page.


End file.
